Will Harry be a hero - or the new Prince Edward?

by ELEANOR GLOVER, Mail online

Last updated at 13:28 12 May 2005

Prince Harry has started his officer training at Sandhurst, becoming the latest royal to join the armed forces. But what has he got to live up to? Eleanor Glover examines the chequered military records of the Royal Family.

Prince Harry is not the first member of the Royal Family to be passed through the military machine. In fact, the wayward Windsor is just the latest in a long line to march into the services.

The monarch is traditionally the head of the Armed Forces and is the only person who can officially declare war, although since 1689 Parliament has had the final say in matter.

Before then, the monarch was solely responsible for raising and maintaining the army and navy, and would often lead them into battle.

Thanks heavens the rules have changed - who knows how many countries the Duke of Edinburgh may have persuaded the Queen to launch attacks on? He could have made Tony Blair look like the Kofi Annan.

Prince Harry does not have to worry about such matters as the last King or Queen to lead their troops into battle was George II against France in 1743.

Harry's great grandfather, George VI, served as Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and fought at the battle of Jutland in May 1916.

Not everyone has had such first-hand experience of the bloody battlefield but it seems that most of the current Royal Family have been closely involved with the armed services.

Here we examine their military records and investigate whether the royals deserve to be dripping in medals.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

Prince Philip has not always been such an embarrassment to the family. After joining the Royal Navy in 1939 he had an impressive military record.

During World War II the Duke spent his time serving on a number of ships including HMS Ramillies and later on HMS Wallace, where he became First Lieutenant, second in command, at the tender age of 21, and took part in the Allied landings on Sicily.

For the latter part of the War Prince Philip sailed to the Indian Ocean on HMS Whelp, again as First Lieutenant, where he joined the British Pacific Fleet and was present at Japan's surrender.

After the War he was promoted to Commander of HMS Magpie but lost his sea legs on the death of his father-in-law, King George VI, in 1952 when he took up the duties required of him as Duke of Edinburgh.

Following in his father's footsteps, Prince Andrew chose a career in the Royal Navy after deciding it would be the "most challenging" of the Armed Forces.

He joined the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth after leaving school in 1979 and specialised in training as a pilot.

Ironically, he received his wings from The Duke of Edinburgh in 1981. Prince Andrew then joined his first front line unit, 820 Navel Air Squadron, before stepping aboard HMS Invincible.

When the Falklands War started the British Government were unsure about allowing Andrew to take part in the conflict and offered him a desk job. Perhaps unfortunately for Andrew, his mother insisted he should do his bit for Queen and Country and so he sailed to the South Atlantic where he took part in a number of missions.

He finally retired in 2001 having served a total of 22 years. Nowadays, he spends most of his time flying between golf tournaments at the taxpayer's expense.

Prince Charles began his military life in the Army in 1969, but after learning to fly jet aircraft and obtaining his wings at the Royal Air Force College he entered the Royal Navy in 1971.

He served on a guided-missile destroyer and two frigates until he qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974 and joined 845 Naval Air Squadron on Commando flying duties with the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.

After taking command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington he left the Navy in 1976.

However, he still holds enough ranks to run a war by himself: Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant General in the Army and Air Marshal in the Air Force.